O Christmas Tree … O Christmas Tree

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The Christmas season is here and we’re all beginning the much-anticipated, sometimes stressful and often-times expensive process of ‘decorating’ for the holiday.  From the balsam wreath on the front door to the strings of garlands, lights and, of course, the TREE, it can be an exhausting and exasperating project.

Today, however, we seem to have grown away from the traditional freshly-cut fir tree decorated with ornaments that have been collected over the years, or handed down from generation to generation.  Instead, we seem to have gravitated toward artificial trees, with trendy decorating themes, that change each year … which is fine, I guess.  But I’m a traditionalist.  For me, every tree is unique in its imperfection, and every ornament should have a story to tell.  Of course, I’ve been guilty of that last minute box-of- a-dozen-red-balls purchase, but be assured those are the last ornaments to go on the tree, if they make it there at all.

But, why a tree?  When did we decide to bring this outdoor living plant indoors and decorate it?  And why December … not January or February?  There are so many traditions that we keep alive today, but why?

Let’s start with Adam and Eve.  This parable, with which we are all familiar, signifies life and family, and takes place in the “Garden of Eden” where we find the symbolic “Tree of Life”.  Whether you follow this doctrine or not, in Medieval times, European Christians did, to the point of bestowing sainthood on Adam and Eve.  During that period, every saint was honored with their special communicant service or Mass … St. Thomas had Thomasmass, St. Michael had Michaelmass, Christ had Christmass, etc.  The commemorative Mass of St. Adam and St. Eve was on December 24th, the day before the celebration of the birth of Christ (Christmass).

In other parts of the world, pagan groups believed that evergreens symbolized eternal life.  While other plants and trees died, the evergreen tree remained continually alive.  Because of this phenomena, evergreens were revered.  These Pagan civilizations also considered the sun a living god and were fearful of the darker winter months when the days were their shortest.  Many pagan groups would, beginning on the shortest day of the year, December 21st, hang evergreens over their doors and windows to keep away evil spirits, and celebrate the slow return of the Sun’s strength.

Now let’s combine the Christian tradition with the Pagan belief.  It seems the worshiping of evergreens and, in particular, the fir tree, collided with the conversion of both the Christian and Pagan rituals. There are some who believe that the church tried unsuccessfully to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness.  Ultimately, instead of ‘fighting them’, the church decided to ‘join them’ and incorporated the decorated evergreen tree, called a ‘Paradise Tree‘, into the religious celebration of the Christ child.


It was actually the Scandinavians who were the first to bring the evergreen tree inside the home and decorate it.  And it was the Germans who were the first to light the tree with candles.  They decorated their Paradise Tree with apples to represent the Garden of Eden, cookies to represent the Eucharistic host and candles to represent Christ lighting up the world.  There is, however, a legend which says it was Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer, who was the first to add lighted candles to a tree.  While walking home one evening, Reverend Luther was amazed by the brilliant stars twinkling in the heavens.  To recapture that scene for his family, he tied lighted candles onto the branches of the tree in his drawing room.

Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children decorating a Christmas Tree.

It was well over a hundred years before this tradition of decorating and lighting a “Tree” spread to other parts of Europe and became widely accepted.  Contrary to popular believe, it was not Prince Albert, but Queen Victoria’s grandmother, German-born Charlotte, who brought this German custom with her to England when she married King George III.  Reports were that Queen Charlotte had an evergreen tree at Windsor Castle, which stood in a large tub in the middle of her drawing room.  It was decorated with fruit and lit by candles, with plenty of toys for the children, who were completely enchanted by the spectacle.  This decorated TREE became an annual tradition for the Royal family.

It wasn’t, however, until Queen Victoria and Prince Albert began celebrating Christmas with a decorated tree that the rest of Britain adopted this concept of celebrating Christmas.  Wanting to emulate everything this Royal couple did, by the end of the 1850s it was a well established Christmas custom to have a decorated evergreen tree in the home of all Brits.  It is also believed that Victoria and Albert were the first to have manufactured decorations for their Christmas tree, imported from Germany.  Each year, Albert continued to spread the tradition by donating trees to schools, army barracks and royal estates. A tradition which continues to this very day.

German settlers to the new World took the custom of decorated Christmas trees with them as early as the 17th century.  By the 19th century, Christmas trees were popular not only in the new World, but in the rest of Europe.  Missionaries took the custom of Christmas and decorated trees with them to China and Japan.  So by the 20th century, the tradition of a decorated evergreen tree in your home to celebrate Christmas had become a socially accepted custom.

Whether you’re a traditionalist like me, or someone who follows the annual decorating trend, did you ever think that by putting up and decorating your Christmas tree, you would effectively be transforming your living room into a place of pagan ritual?

                                                                         Merry Christmas!

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References:  Prevail Magazine, Time Magazine, Royal Central,

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Did You Know . . . .

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Did you know that …

… all “tea” comes from one plant, of which there are over 3,000 varieties.
… except for water, tea is the most popular beverage in the world.
… China grows more tea than any other country, but they are not the largest exporter.
… tea improves concentration, mood, and energy, as well as relaxation.
… there is no ‘orange‘ in orange pekoe tea.

… if the tea leaf shipped out of China from the northern ports, it was called ‘cha’
… if the tea leaf shipped out of China from the southern ports, it was called ‘te’.
… white tea actually has more caffeine than black tea.
… a pound of tea has more caffeine than a pound of coffee – but a cup of tea has less caffeine than a cup of coffee.
… the average tea drinker in the U.K. drinks 4.5 lbs of tea each year, while the average tea drinker in Turkey drinks 6.8 lbs.

… tea was first touted for its medicinal benefits – good for colds, dropsies and scurvies.
… in Victorian England, tea sold on average for £26/pound – while the average wage was £10/year.
… in Victorian England, some servants would take the used tea leaves and sell it to unscrupulous dealers, who would add fillers and resell the leaves.
… although we think of teapots as British, they actually originated in China in the 1500s.
… in the Middle East, haggling over prices doesn’t even begin until after tea is served.

… tearooms where the first ‘women-owned’ businesses in the U.S.
… the most famous tearoom in the world is the Willow Tea Room in Glasgow, Scotland.
… in the 19th century, the term for accepting a bribe was called “tea money“.
… in Victorian England, tea was kept locked away in ornate tea chests, with the key being held by the lady of the house.
… in Victorian England, children in orphanages were given tea with milk and sugar daily.

 

… the first tea to be exported from China and enjoyed by Europeans was ‘green’ tea, called “gunpowder“.
… the Portuguese were the first to enjoy drinking tea in Europe, after merchants brought it back from Asia.
… crates of Chinese porcelain was first used as ballast in the bottom of ships transporting tea.
… a China closet was where the lady of the house would display her fine imported “Chinaware”.
… the Chinese started putting handles on teacups when they realized Europeans drank their tea much hotter than they did and in larger bowls.

Ming Dynasty Yixing Teapot

… “pot holes” is the term given to the holes in the road left by English potters who would dig up the fine clay to craft their teapots.
… in the late 1800s until WWI, from London to Glasgow, Tango tea dances were all the rage.
… Prime Minister Earl Grey is credited with ending slavery in Great Britain.
… Earl Grey tea is one of the most popular ‘flavored’ teas in the world.
… Both Twinings and Jacksons of Piccadilly take credit for inventing “Earl Grey” flavored tea.

The Cup of Tea, Mary Cassatt 1881

… Afternoon Tea is credited to the 7th Duchess of Bedford, Anna Russell, in the 1840s.
… Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was a world-class coffee producer until the coffee blight of 1870.
… the tea bag was invented accidentally by Thomas Sullivan as a sample bag for his customers.
… iced tea was accidentally invented by Richard Blechynde on a very hot day at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 when he gave out ‘cold’ samples of his tea.

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Cover Photo:  “Church Lady High Tea” by Janie McGee

STICKY TOFFEE APPLE PUDDING

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It’s Fall and what do you do on a gorgeous Fall day in New England?  Go apple picking, of course!  We were in New Hampshire and stumbled onto this remote, little apple orchard located down a very long, dirt road, nestled  among tall, lumbering pine trees.  No fancy signs with balloons announcing their location.  No giant painted pumpkins, mind-numbing corn mazes or antique tractor displays … just apple trees.  Apprehensively, we approached the little shed with the owner standing outside.  “C’mon in”, he said “wanna pick some apples?”  How could we not.

He explained the different varieties of apple trees and their location in the orchard, handed us a couple of paper bags and off we went.  Picking didn’t take long, as the trees were heavy with fruit … Empire, Macouns, Macintosh, Golden Delicious and Cortland … all red, ripe and ready.  After picking … and eating as many as we could … we managed to find our way back to the shed, where the owner weighed our bounty and offered us a slice of pie.  Pie?  Yes, every day his wife bakes an apple pie for anyone who, after a day of picking, would like to sit, relax and enjoy a slice of homemade apple pie.  Needless to say, it was one of the best apple pies we’ve ever had.

Now, with more apples than we could possibly eat, it was time to get baking!  So what to  make?  I certainly couldn’t compete with the apple pie we had at the orchard.  I’ve made many strudels, cobblers and apple cakes.  I wanted to make something different.  How about an old fashioned steamed pudding?

My inspiration was the classic British dessert, Sticky Toffee Pudding.  Putting on my creative baker hat once again, I came up with this Apple version.  If you are a lover of classic steamed puddings, which, unlike cakes, are dense, moist and homey, then you must give this a try.  Yes, it is a bit time consuming, but its the perfect thing to make on a chilly, Autumn afternoon.

This will feed anywhere from 6 hungry people to 12 easily.  Serve it warm with a generous slug of the thick, sweet toffee topping.  To heck with the calories … you burned them all off apple picking anyway!

STICKY TOFFEE APPLE PUDDING
Bake 350° for 60 to 70 minutes.  Serves 6 to 10, depending upon portion size.

Toffee Sauce
1 15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Pudding/Cake/Batter
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
4-5 large apples, peeled, cored and cubed (approximately 6 cups)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (optional)

1 stick butter, melted
4 eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Into a high-sided saucepan, place the entire can of sweetened condensed milk.  Completely cover the can with water and bring to a boil.  Then cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Let this simmer, covered, for at least two hours, while you make and bake the pudding.  Check it every now and then to ensure the can is completely covered with simmering water.  Refill water as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350° and butter six to eight ramekins.  In a large baking or roasting pan, lay a kitchen towel.  The ramekins are going to bake in a water bath and the towel keeps the dishes from bumping into each other.

In a large frypan, over medium heat, melt the butter and add the cubed apples.  Sprinkle on the dark brown sugar, the cinnamon, nutmeg and the cornstarch.  Mix gently.  Cover and let it cook down for about 15 minutes or until the apples are softened and a sauce forms.  If needed, add a bit of water.  Stir gently.

While the apples are gently cooking, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar.  Add the melted butter and vanilla.  Beat in the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder.  Mix well, but don’t overbeat.

Spoon the apple filling into the pudding batter.  With a wooden spoon, gently mix all together.  Then spoon the batter into the buttered ramekins.  Not too high.  They will rise a bit.  Sprinkle with toasted nuts, if you’d like.

Place the ramekins on the towel-lined baking pan.  Then fill the baking pan with hot water until the water comes halfway up the sides of the dishes.

Cover the entire baking pan tightly with foil and bake at 350°.  Bake for 60 to 70 minutes (depending upon the size of the ramekins).  No peeking.  Puddings take a bit longer to bake than cakes.

When done, remove the baking pan from the oven and let the puddings rest for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, take the can which has been bubbling away on the stove top, and holding it with a towel, carefully open it.  It will be very hot.  With a spoon, mix the thick, sweet sauce to smooth it out.  Then spoon the toffee sauce into a serving bowl or pitcher.

To serve, either pop the pudding out of the ramekin and plate it or serve it right in the ramekin … and spoon a generous dollop of toffee sauce on top.  For a little extra treat, you might want to have ice cream or whipped cream on hand.  This is an absolutely rib-sticking, old fashioned dessert, hearty, sweet and full of chunky apples with a creamy toffee sauce … perfect for a cool Fall evening.  i hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we did!!

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CLIPPER SHIPS and the GREAT TEA RACE of 1866

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I hope you’ve had a chance to read my blog about THE JOHN COMPANY, formally known as the British East India Company, which led the trading of tea and other exotic goods from the Far East to Europe,  Great Britain and the New World. For more than 200 years the British East India Company dominated trading. No longer a commercial venture, more of a political one and a threat to the British government, the company became too powerful and was dissolved in 1834.

In order to control this vast empire, the East India Company, prior to 1834, maintained an impressive fleet of ships.  Built in India, these ships, known as “Indiamen”, were huge warships, not only carrying goods and passengers, but fitted out for war.  For what they did, sailing millions of miles and bringing millions of pounds of goods into port, they were exceptional.

Unloading tea crates on the East India docks. Early 1800s

Life on board, however, was quite harsh.  One story written by an officer tells what life was like on one of these “Indiamen”.  The voyage from London to China and back to England took thirteen months and two weeks. The cramped accommodations offered no privacy or room to move.  There was never enough water or fresh food and scurvy took the lives of many sailors and passengers.  Petty thefts occurred daily, with the accused being flogged or tied to the shrouds.  As bad as things were during the day, they were worse at night with no lamps or lanterns allowed.  Fire, shipwrecks and pirating were the biggest enemies of these mammoth ships.

Meanwhile, in Baltimore, Maryland, a shipyard created a ship that was not only fast, but with a cargo hold big enough to carry a significant amount of freight.  These ships came to be known as Clipper Ships … “clip” was slang for run or fly quickly. The design of these vessels, with their massive sails, enabled them to “clip” over the waves at a great speed, which caused a sensation in the shipping industry.  Now ships could travel at speeds of up to 30 kilometers an hour … and traders could deliver goods faster and the freshest tea possible.  Clipper ships became the new force.

When the Company was dissolved in 1834, Great Britain introduced the Navigation Act, which meant anyone, including non-English companies, could bring goods into a British port.  Finally, there would be competition. The Indiamen ships continued to be in service, but the East India Company soon began to see a rise in competition from these Clipper Ships, which would render their slow ships obsolete.  Speed was now the name of the game.

The Tea Clipper, Serica. 1863

At first, the Company wasn’t worried about these little American ships.  The Indiamen had dominated the shipping industry for centuries.  But very quickly these fast, lightweight American ships began to cut into their trade and their profits.  Although the Clippers were transporting all sorts of cargo, it was “tea” that caused the most interest.  The American Clipper, Oriental, made an unprecedented trip from New York to Hong Kong in only 81 days … an unheard of time in 1850.  She was immediately offered the job of transporting 1650 tons of tea from Hong Kong to London, which she did in only 99 days.

The British shipbuilders immediately began building their own Clippers, producing more than 100 ships, five of which became the most famous of all.  At that point, the race was on!  The competitive spirit sprung into action immediately because whoever could bring tea to market first would gain a monetary incentive.  Crews began competing with each other, not only as a test of their sailing, but also how quickly and efficiently the tea could be loaded onto their ships . . . . because they couldn’t set sail from China until every tea chest was on board.

The image above outlines how to efficiently load crates of tea without wasting space. This illustration shows more than 12,000 chests of tea stowed below deck.

The Clipper ship races began in 1850 and lasted only 20 years, but while they did, they caused incredible excitement.  The ships would thunder down through the South China Sea and into the Indian Ocean, then race to round the southern-most tip of Africa at the Cape of Good Hope. From there, it was north across the Atlantic, past the Azores, and through the English Channel into the Thames.  In the Thames, they would need to be towed by tugs to reach the docks.

The most famous race of all took place in 1866.  By then, the American ships had dropped out, leaving just the English clippers to bring tea to market.  The headline in the DAILY TELEGRAPH announced “The Great Tea Race of 1866” with the main competitors being the Fiery Cross, the Ariel, the Taeping, the Serica and the Taitsing.

On May 30th, they all left China within hours of each other.  Once the ships left the docks in China, telegrams would be sent from each check-in point en route to England.  The Suez Canal was still under construction so around the Cape of Good Hope they ran, taking over three months to reach the English Channel.  A distance of over 14,000 miles.  At times they came close enough to one another to actually see the crews on the competing ship.  The Fiery Cross had the lead only 20 days out, with the Taeping and Ariel falling two days behind and the Serica and the Taitsing a day behind them.  But the weather around the Cape of Good Hope evened things out.  It wasn’t long before all ships were within 24 hours of each other.  By the time they reached the Azores, they were all within sight of each other.

In addition to the bragging rights, the Captain and the crew would be rewarded for their hard work, earning up to sixpence per pound of tea.  So the incentive to win was great.  The British newspapers reported on the race almost daily.  With the changing weather, shifts in the wind and typhoons, except for the Taitsang, which had now fallen too far behind, the ships were staying neck-to-neck.  Eventually, the Taeping pulled out ahead and seemed to be the clear winner, but it was the Ariel to first spot the Cornish coast.  The last leg of the race was in sight.  But even as the Ariel was at full sail, the Taeping was closing in on her.  Both ships needed tugboats to get them down the Thames.

Crowds of people who had been following the race lined the docks, with merchants ready to be the first to announce their tea had arrived.  The Ariel was headed for the East India dock, while the Taeping was headed for the London dock.  With both ships being taken in tow at the same time going up the Thames, there was concern that the race would be a dead heat.  Knowing this, the owners of the Ariel and the Taeping agreed that whichever ship docked first would claim the prize, with no dispute between them.  Which ship would it be?

It was the Taeping who reached the dock first, with a mere 20 minute lead.  The Ariel was second and the Serica came in an hour later taking third place. No race before or since ever had a narrower margin between ships.  And in the spirit of goodwill, the crew of the Taeping shared the prize money equally with the Ariel.

The Great Tea Race of 1866 was the most famous tea race of all.  This was also the last year that  a bonus was paid for the first ship to arrive in London.  For although the ships were fast, the first cargo of tea from China had actually arrived two weeks earlier, in only 66 days, by a steamship, the Erl King.  This steamer was not part of the Clipper ship race, but the fact that it was faster than the Clippers changed the way tea was shipped from then on.  Although most of the Clipper ships remained in service for a few years, with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which was not suitable for them, steamships now offered a more efficient and less expensive way of shipping tea and other cargo.

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References:  Homeofohm, Teamuse, Sweetteajunkie, Wikipedia, Smithsonian, Harvard Library, Gutenberg, South Bay Sail, Tea.Co.UK, Vahdam,
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TEA … a Primer

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Such a simple word “tea” … which provides us with such a simple beverage.  Why then, oh why, do so many people make it seem so complicated?   Do we really need to know about the origin, production and preparation of the leaf?  Can’t we just enjoy our cuppa without being told its pedigree?  It doesn’t have to be complicated.  But if you want a bit more information, let me break it down for you as simply as possible . . .

All tea comes from one plant, the Camellia Sinensis.  The Camellia Sinensis is an evergreen plant, which resembles its cousin, the azalea bush.  Yes, there are over 3,000 varieties of this plant, but it still is the leaf of this plant which, after plucking, withering, firing and sorting, gives us “tea”.

Although the plant can grow to the height of 25′, for ease of plucking, the plants are kept to a height of 3′ or 4′.  Bending over tea bushes, plucking the new growth can be a ‘back breaking’ job, so the plants are pruned to this reasonable height.   Picking or “plucking” takes place three times a year, taking only the new growth.  This growth is called a “flush” and is referred to as first flush, second flush and autumnal.

Tea is plucked mostly by women – smaller hands and feet and less apt to trample on the plants – who pass this profession on to their daughters.  Men are generally considered too ‘clumsy’ and work in the fields and factories.  Successful plantations today take care of their workers and provide everything from health care to housing, schooling and subsidized food.


So, where is tea grown?  Like wine, tea grows best at higher altitudes with an afternoon cloud cover.  The soil should be rich with lots of moisture and the climate should be fairly consistent.  The farms where tea is grown are called “plantations” or tea “estates”.  Although tea is grown primarily in China, Japan, India, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Kenya and southern parts of Russia, you’ll find plantations now in South Carolina, Hawaii and even an experimental estate in England.

Types of Tea
Depending on who you talk to, there are between three to seven types of tea.  Those categories are:  white, green, oolong, pouchong, black and pu-erh.   Tisanes are herbal beverages which a lot of people call “tea”, but they really aren’t “tea” because they do not contain any leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant.  But let’s keep it simple and just talk about the three basic types:  white, green, and black.

Production for each type of tea differs slightly, although the process is the same.  From plucking in the fields, the leaves are then withered to reduce moisture.  From withering, the leaves are heat-fired to stop oxidation.  They may then be crushed, or rolled before being sorted for grading.

Green tea is becoming more and more popular as people realize its health benefits.   Once produced only in China and Japan, green tea is now being produced in India and Sri Lanka as well.  After plucking, the tea is withered slightly to reduce the moisture and then carefully heat treated to stop oxidation.  In Japan, green tea is steamed to stop the oxidation process, keeping its vibrant green color.  This steaming process is why Japanese green teas are more vegetal tasting.  In China, woks are used and this process gives Chinese greens a nuttier, slightly sweeter aftertaste.

Green tea lends itself to scenting or flavoring very nicely.  You’ll find lots of flavored green teas on the market today – from florals to fruity blends, as well as some spices.  If you enjoy your cuppa sweetened, green teas are fine, but, please NO milk!

Black tea is the one that most of us are familiar with.  I’m sure we’ve all grown up with a box of Lipton or Tetley or even Yorkshire Gold tea bags in the cupboard.  Grown mostly in India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon), leaves designated for black teas are spread out to dry (withered) after plucking to remove most of the moisture.  The leaves are then heat treated, rolled and ready for sorting.

Black teas are sold as “orthodox” (large, unbroken leaves) or as “ctc” (smaller particles called “cut, torn, curled”).   Black teas can be from a specific estate or blended, as in English Breakfast, or flavored.  The most popular flavored black tea is, of course, Earl Grey.  Black teas are generally enjoyed with milk and sugar.

White tea is very delicate and generally plucked from the finest bushes.  Only the top buds of the plant are plucked – before dawn, before the buds open.   As a result, White tea can be very rare and can be very expensive.  At one time, white tea was thought to be most appreciated in its purest form and not scented or blended.  Today, however, you’ll find all sorts of scented white teas available from tea purveyors.

Chinese emperors would only allow young virginal girls with gloved hands
to pluck their teas, placing them in a solid gold bowl.
These became ‘tribute’ teas or ‘imperial’ teas and reserved
only for emperors and visiting dignitaries. 

 

Caffeine Content
First of all, did you know that caffeine is a natural substance produced by the plant to ward off parasites?  Also, the caffeine content can be manipulated somewhat by the grower.  Nigel Melican, research scientist and President of the European Tea Association, states, “Caffeine varies in the fresh green leaf depending on the fineness of the pluck.  For any tea, be it black, green or white, the caffeine is highest in the bud.  Silver needle (white tea) is 100% bud and has the highest caffeine content.”

Over 85% of Americans consume significant amounts of caffeine every day.  The Mayo Clinic claims that most adults can handle up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day without any side effects.  But if you are prone to medical problems, or sleep issues, and would like to cut down on your caffeine intake, you might want to know just how much caffeine you’re drinking.  On average, keep in mind tea has half the caffeine that coffee has and herbal tisanes have no caffeine.

Is caffeine addictive?  Research says “no”, but caffeine does stimulate the nervous system and most of us do crave that alert feeling that comes after having it.  I believe it’s better to understand the caffeine content in a cuppa if we start with coffee …

On average an 8oz. cup of Starbucks coffee has 180 mg of caffeine.  Dunkin Donuts has a little less with 150 mg of caffeine.  Black tea, on average, has 48 mg of caffeine, while green tea has even less caffeine than black tea, with an average of 28 mg.  White tea can be deceiving with more caffeine than green, but less than black.  Again, these numbers are for 8oz.  The average person uses a 14oz. mug, so increase the numbers.

Loose Leaf vs Tea Bags?  
Some people think loose leaf tea is too expensive.  Loose leaf tea may seem to cost a bit more, but when you break down the price per cup, its actually less expensive than you think.  And, if like me, you get a second infusion (and sometimes a third) from your leaf, that cuts the cost in half.  The secret, of course, is to start with good quality tea.

Prices for bagged teas can be all over the place.  And there are some beautifully packaged ‘bagged’ teas available.  But remember, you are also paying for the packaging.  As a result, your cost per cup may be more than loose leaf tea.

Is loose leaf tea more difficult to prepare?  I don’t think so at all.  The process is exactly the same except for one thing.  With loose leaf tea, you have to put the “tea” into something to infuse it.  The bagged tea is already “in” something.  That’s the only difference.  Temperature of the water should be the same.  Steeping time should be the same.  But with loose leaf tea you are going to get a better tasting cuppa.

How to Make the Perfect Cup
Hopefully, now that you have some basic information about tea, you’ll want to start enjoying it.  No, its not complicated.  Want to know more?  Just click on the link … A Perfect Cuppa.

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Once upon a time in a land far, far away, legend says that in China 5000 years ago the then Emperor Shen Nung, who was referred to as the emperor of agriculture, was sitting in his garden boiling his drinking water.  Emperor Nung believed that boiling drinking water destroyed the bacteria that made people sick, and 5000 years ago that was quite a radical way of thinking.  Some people thought he was a bit strange, but he was, after all, an emperor, so people followed his beliefs.  As he was sitting under this large, beautiful tree boiling his water, the wind picked up and a few leaves blew into the pot.  He watched them for a few moments, contemplated it, and always eager to try new things, he tasted it.  And that was how tea was discovered!

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Want to learn even more? You might be interested in how “tea” got its name …  “What’s In a Name”

 

DARJEELING

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Before I became involved with tea, I have to admit I’d never heard of Darjeeling … not the tea, nor the place.  When, on the few occasions I bought tea, which was just scanning the boxes on the supermarket shelves and picking up a familiar brand name, or whatever was on sale, never would I buy a tea from a region or country, or even a particular type of tea.  That all changed, however, when I became immersed in TEA … its culture, its history, its variety and the passion which surrounds it.  And it began when I started visiting these countries which produce it.

One of the most memorable places I had the privilege to visit was Darjeeling in India.  Yes, Darjeeling is a tea, but it is also a place.  “The Land of the Thunderbolt” or Dorje-Ling is what it is called in Tibetan.  Situated in the northeast corner of India, high in the Himalayan mountains and bordered by Tibet, Butan and China, this is a place of magnificent beauty.  With its slightly acidic, but rich soil, abundant rainfall, high elevation and afternoon cloud cover, its no wonder that some of the best teas in the world are grown here.  Known as the “Champagne of Tea”, Darjeeling teas can command some very high price tags.

I’m sure the numbers have changed since I visited, but at that time there were approximately 80 tea gardens in the Darjeeling region.  They ranged in size from small family-run estates to large corporate-owned plantations.  I had the opportunity to visit quite a few estates at that time and was astounded at how each one was unique, with its own energy, and philosophy, notwithstanding the pride that comes from working with people who share a single passion.

Jayshree Tea Estate, Darjeeling

Of course, we were visitors from the United States who were interested in buying tea and, because of that, were treated as rock stars.  I won’t deny that.  But we were also able to experience the beauty of the land, the generosity and warmth of its people and the vibrancy of the area.

Strolling through any of the estates, the landscape is breathtakingly beautiful.  An undulating, almost rolling typography of tea bushes surround you, sloping down the terrain.  And the majesty of the snow-capped mountains in the distance is magical.

The work is difficult and the days are long for those who work in the tea industry.  With their nimble fingers, the tea pluckers are generally women, who go into the fields in the morning, some with little ones in tow.  Quite a few are armed with umbrellas, most wear “Wellies” on their feet and all have baskets strapped around their heads.  They work til noon, break for lunch, and then are back adeptly plucking two-leaves and a bud at the waist-high bushes until 5pm.  They wait on the dirt paths for the trucks to come and weigh their baskets, before they go home, hot and tired from a long day in the fields.

A very proud plantation worker displaying his commemorative buckle.

Men are most often in the fields, pruning, planting and tending to the tea plants, or in the laboratories and factories, weighing, withering, sorting and packaging the teas for market.  And children, for the most part, are in estate-provided schools.  Life as a plantation worker is not easy.  The pay is relatively small when you consider the selling price of the tea.  Although the plantations were started by the British, the plantations are now owned by Indians.  Housing is provided for the workers with each home having a garden plot to grow veggies.  In addition to their wage, workers receive a small allowance to purchase food and supplies.

The history of tea in this area goes back to the early 1800s when the East India Company lost its monopoly on the China tea trade.  The whole of Great Britain was, by now, addicted to tea, and the British government had to do something.  Desperately trying to establish tea gardens in the northern regions of India, the East India Company (aka the John Company),  with Camellia Sinensis seeds, started planting.  By 1866, there were 39 British-owned and operated tea gardens.  Following Indian Independence in 1947, the British began to sell their gardens to Indians and the Tea Act in 1953 regulated the industry.

Authentic Darjeeling tea is unique and cannot be grown or manufactured anywhere else in the world.  And now Darjeeling tea has a ‘Protected Geographical status’ within the European Union, USA and Australia.  As Roquefort is to cheese and Champagne is to wine, Darjeeling now is to tea. These products with their individual characteristics specific to the particular region in which they are produced have been awarded a certificate protecting them from exploitation.   Consumers knowing this can now be guaranteed that they are getting genuine Darjeeling. This helps in ensuring the production and sale of Darjeeling tea all over the world.  And to identify authentic Darjeelings, a logo was also created showing the profile of a woman holding two leaves and a bud.

To keep up with the changing marketplace, today you’ll find a lot of the tea estates have become organic, biodynamic and/or Fair Trade, with certifications from the Tea Board of India.  Whether you call them tea gardens, estates or plantations, here is the list for you of the currently operating tea estates.  Quite a few, are now offering “home stays”, tea tours and camping opportunities.  If you are interested in adventure travel and experiencing something other than the familiar, I couldn’t recommend a trip to Darjeeling more highly.  It’s an experience  you will never forget.

When I started tasting different teas, from different countries, and different regions within those countries, I was changed forever.  Although tea is the most popular beverage in the world, except for water, of course, it doesn’t stop at that.  With its unique terroir, Darjeelings have earned the name “The Champagne of Teas” for a reason.  With their medium body, identifiable muscatel flavor and hint of spice, they are exceptional.  And, I haven’t even touched on the nuances from the first flush to the autumnals.  From which estate, do I think grows the best tea?  You’ll just have to try them all yourself to find out.

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Darjeeling East:  Arya Tea Estate, Chongtong Tea Estate , Dhooteriah Tea Estate , Kalej Valley Tea Estate , Liza Hill Tea Estate , Lingia Tea Estate, Marybong Tea Estate , Mim Tea Estate, Darjeeling Mim, Orange Valley (Bloomfield Tea Estate) , Pussimbing Tea Estate , Risheehat Tea Estate, Rungmook / Cedars Tea Estate , Tumsong Tea Estate

Darjeeling West:  Badamtam Tea Estate, Bannockburn Tea Estate , Barnesbeg Tea Estate , Ging Tea Estate , Happy Valley Tea Estate, North Tukvar, Pandam Tea Estate , Phoobshering Tea Estate, Puttabong Tea Estate , Rangaroon Tea Estate, Rungneet Tea Estate, Singtom Tea Estate, Soom Tea Estate, Steinthal Tea Estate

Kurseong (North):  Ambootia Tea Garden, Balasun Tea Garden, Eden Vale Tea Garden, Dilaram Tea Garden, Margaret’s Hope Tea Garden, Moondakotee Tea Garde, Oaks Tea Garden, Ringtong Tea Garden, Springside Tea Garden

Kurseong South:  Castleton Tea Garden, Giddapahar Tea Garden, Goomtee Tea Garden, Jogmaya Tea Garden, Jungpana Tea Garden, Longview (High Lands) Tea Garden, Mahalderam Tea Garden, Makaibari Tea Garden, Mohan Majhua Tea Garden, Monteviot Tea Garden, Mullootar Tea Garden, Narbada Majhua Tea Garden, Nurbong Tea Garden, Rohini Tea Garden, Selim Hill Tea Garden, Seepoydhura Tea Garden, Sivitar Tea Garden, Tindharia Tea Garden

Mirik:  Gopaldhara Tea Estate, Ghayabaree and Millikthong Tea Estate, Okayti Tea Estate, Phuguri Tea Estate, Seeyok Tea Estate, Singbulli Tea Estate, Thurbo Tea Estate

Upper Fagu:  Avongrove Tea Garden, Chamong Tea Garden, Dhajea Tea Garden, Nagri Tea Garden, Nagri Farm Tea Garden, Selimbong Tea Garden, Sungma Tea Garden, Turzum Tea Garden, Teesta Valley Tea Garden, Tukdah Tea Garden, Upper Fagu Tea Garden

Teesta:  Ambiok (Hillton), Gielle Tea Garden, Glenburn Tea Garden, Kumai (Snow View) Tea Garden, Lopchu Peshok Tea Garden, Namring and upper Namring Tea Garden, Runglee Rungliot Tea Garden, Samebeong Tea Garden

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References:  Margaret’s Hope Estate, Makaibari Estate, Wikipedia, Tea Board of India, Intelligent Legal Protection, Inside Darjeeling, Darjeeling Tourism,

FISH ‘N CHIPS

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Probably the most identifiable dish in all of Great Britain is ‘fish ‘n chips’.  There are “fish shops” or “chippies” on every corner in every village, city and town.  Originally, just a ‘take away’ dish, the “National Association of Fish Friers” says there are now over 10,000 fish shops around the U.K.  Imagine, though, that at the height of their popularity, there were over 35,000.  And whether you go to the “chippie” or you go out for “cod ‘n chips”, you’ll probably get some of the best fried fish you’ve ever had.  Cod, of course, is the most popular, with haddock running a close second.

Always served with a shower of salt and a generous splash of malt vinegar, fish ‘n chips is usually accompanied by mushy peas, and a variety of sauces.  I must say ‘mushy peas” has always left me a bit wanting … and wondering why they exist.  But, let’s put that on hold for the moment.


How and why did fried fish served with fried potatoes get to be Britain’s national comfort food?  Well, it seems that this staple of the working class may have come from Portuguese Jews living in Spain and Portugal in the 16th century.   As with many other foods, coating their fish in flour and then frying it in oil was something they did quite regularly.  But when the religious environment for these people became too hostile, they fled Portugal and Spain and emigrated to the U.K. … where they continued to ‘fry their fish’.

This style of preparing and serving fish became an instant hit.  President Thomas Jefferson, after a visit to London in the late 1700s, wrote about eating “fried fish in the Jewish fashion”.  And in 1837, Charles Dickens refers to a “fried fish warehouse” in his novel Oliver Twist.  Alex Soyer in his 1845 cookbook, “A Shilling Cookery for the People”, includes a recipe for “Fried fish, Jewish fashion”.

Original Recipe from Soyer’s Book 1845

Ok, but what about the ‘chips’?  Well, in the 1860’s in the East End of London lived the Malin family, Jewish rug weavers by trade, who barely eked out a living.  Their young son, Joseph, convinced his family to sell fried potatoes as a way of augmenting their income.  Potatoes were commonplace by that time, having been introduced to Europe from South America.  (This anti-famine crop actually became a catalyst for famine when blight struck Ireland in the mid-1800s.)

As people realized the nutritional value of potatoes and the ease with which to grow them, potatoes quickly became the food for the workers of the Industrial Revolution.  A valuable source of protein, fiber, iron and vitamins, It is said that fish and chips actually kept the working class from starvation.  Again, Charles Dickens, a reporter at heart, who always included the current social environment in his novels, mentions “husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil” in his 1859 book, A Tale of Two Cities.

So it seems that ‘fried fish’ and ‘fried potatoes’ were introduced into the British diet separately, but at about the same time.  Joseph eventually convinced his family to include fried fish along with their fried potatoes, opening the very first fish and chip shop in 1860, where it continued for over a century. The success of this family-run business was passed down from Joseph to Albert, who worked there until he was close to 100 years old, and then to Dennis.  Sadly, Malin’s closed in the 70’s, but their legacy lives on.

July 1952 crowds flocked to celebrate the 21st birthday of the original Harry Ramsden’s.

Harry Ramsden opened his first fish ‘n chip shop in 1928 in West Yorkshire.  In 1952, Harry’s shop earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records by serving over 10,000 portions of fish and chips in one day!

During the First and Second World Wars, fish and chips was one of the few foods in the U.K. not rationed by the British Government.  The Territorial Army prepared for battle by eating fish and chips provided for them at training camps in the 1930’s.  Winston Churchill called fish and chips “good companions” and claimed that this dish actually helped the British defeat the Nazis during WWII.

Now, of course, there is the The National Fish & Chip Award which selects the best fish ‘n chip shop in Great Britain through a very thorough checklist for quality, authenticity, menu development, and staff training, as well as a sustainable sourcing policy.  This highly coveted annual award is announced at The National Fish & Chip Awards’ ceremony in London each January.  Who knew there was such formality around fish ‘n chips?

How do you eat fish ‘n chips?  Up until recently, fish ‘n chips would be served to you wrapped in newspaper or butcher paper, maybe with a simple wooden fork, and you were expected to sit outside, perhaps on a park bench, or while you were walking along, enjoying this salty, satisfying meal.


Now, fish and chips is also served in the most upscale, sit-down, trendy restaurants, and at exorbitant prices.  Celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay, charges as much as £19.50 for a ‘take-away’ version of this classic dish (which, I must admit, I’d pay.)

Fish and chips is now known and served all over the world.  You’d be hard pressed not to see this dish on every pub restaurant menu in the U.S. from Boston to San Francisco.  As simple a dish as it is, would I ever attempt to make this British classic at home?  Not a chance!  But if you are in Britain and you are feeling a bit ‘peckish’, be sure to pop in to the nearest chippie.  But if you see soul-satisfying, take-away dish served with a wedge of lemon and a side salad, walk away!  I’m not sure where you are, or how you ended up where you did, but this is NOT a traditional chippie or fish shop!  Salt, malt vinegar and mushy peas … full stop!

”Todays headlines, tomorrow’s fish and chips wrappings”

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References:  The Sun, Taste Atlas, Wikipedia, Jewish History, Roman Road, GBM, Foods of England, Historic UK, 

ORANGE SUNSHINE CAKE

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I was watching a re-run recently of one of the older Great British Bake Off  episodes (yes, I do watch them over and over again) and the technical challenge presented by Mary was an “Angel Food Cake”.   The contestants all appeared completely baffled by this challenge, but I smiled to myself, knowing that I had actually made one . . . a  long time ago.

I remember it distinctly.  It was 1972 and I had never made a cake before … a real ‘from scratch’ cake.  The recipe was straight out of the only cookbook I owned (but don’t remember where it came from), the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  My recipes generally came from magazine and newspaper clippings – with pictures, of course, so that I would know exactly what the finished dish was suppose to look like.

You may have seen this classic cookbook on a shelf in an antique shop or used book store . . . a three-ring binder with a red and white gingham cover. This cookbook actually taught me how to cook and became my bible in the kitchen.

The cake was an Orange Angel Food Cake. There was no special occasion and I don’t really know why I selected this cake.  Perhaps it was because I had a dozen eggs which were getting old and a bag of oranges which I didn’t want to go to waste.  I also don’t remember how I  had obtained an angel food cake pan, but I had one … and still do.  So, following the instructions very carefully, I took on the challenge and remember being quite proud of myself when it came out . . . perfectly baked . . . light and fluffy . . . with a delicate citrusy orange flavor.

Have I made this cake since?  No.  And I’m not sure why.  But after watching the GBBO episode, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic . . . plus I have a dozen eggs, a bag full of oranges, and an angel food cake pan.  So, let’s give it a try!

ORANGE ANGEL FOOD CAKE
Preheat oven to 325°.  Do not grease the cake pan. (Something the contestants did not know.)
8 eggs yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup cake flour, sifted
8 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar

I always line up all the ingredients when baking.  It’s so easy to forget something … and it could be as simple or important as salt.

Separate 8 large, room-temperature eggs … put the whites aside.

Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemony-colored.  Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar.  Beat until gloriously thick.  Combine the freshly-squeezed orange juice (freshly-squeezed gives the best flavor) with the orange peel.  Add this to the egg yolk mixture alternately with the cake flour.  Set aside.

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until the soft peak stage.  Very gradually add the other 2/3 cup sugar.  Beat on high until stiff peaks form … but do not overbeat.  The egg whites should be stiff but not be dry.

Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.

Pour into the ungreased 10″ tube pan (or whatever pan you’d like to use).   Angel food cakes do not need to be baked in a specific pan.  Loaf pans are fine.  Bake in a 325° oven for about 50 to 60 minutes.

When done, a tester will come out clean, the sponge should spring back when touched and the color will be a delicate golden brown.

Invert the tube pan to cool the cake.  Yes, that is what the ‘feet’ are for.  After approximately 20 minutes, the cake should easily come out of the pan.  Turn right side up.  Frost when cooled.

Is it a “show stopper” as Mary would’ve liked to have seen?  No … but I’m very happy with it.  The cake is feathery light with just a subtle hint of citrusy orange.  I made a quick seven-minute frosting and decorated it with candied orange slices.

This is the perfect cake for after a heavy meal when you want something sweet, but not too sweet or rich … or when you want to impress your guests (because they will be impressed).  It may have taken me almost 50 years to make this the second time, but you know I’ll be making it  again very soon!  Yummy!!
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STONEHENGE and the MAN WHO BOUGHT IT

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We’ve had the opportunity to visit Stonehenge a couple of times.  The first time was quite a few years ago when Stonehenge was not the massive tourist attraction it is today.  Yes, there was a modest entrance fee, but the site was quite accessible.  A small fence, which you could easily step over, surrounded the stones and there was a path which circled the stones for walking.  You could spend an entire afternoon just enjoying the beauty of the area with its grassy knolls and meadows.

Today, however, a visit to Stonehenge is quite different. Tickets to England’s most popular tourist attractions must be booked in advance … and the cost for a family of four is a hefty £54.90.  There is a new and impressive Visitor’s Center with a ticket office, museum, gift shop and coffee shop.  The museum has changing exhibits featuring contemporary art, photographs, and treasures from museums around the world.

Just outside the Visitor’s Center is a fascinating new exhibit of neolithic, or stone age, houses.  These yurt-style homes with their thatched roofs are based on houses found during the 2006 excavations in this area.  Carbon dating showed that the original buildings were built around 2,500 BC, the same time period the stones were being erected.  This fascinating addition to Stonehenge is one which I can’t wait to see.

Stonehenge has been a curiosity since the beginning of recorded time.  Studies and surveys have led researchers to speculate that this circle of stones could have been anything from a Roman fort to a Druid monument.  What we have learned is that the people who built Stonehenge were farmers and knowing the changing of the seasons would be very important to them.  The layout of Stonehenge is positioned in relation to the solstices, or the sun’s movement.  In addition to knowing what to expect with the changing seasons, Stonehenge also played an important part in the lives of these early people spiritually.  The cremated remains of over 150 people have been found buried here.

Today, this ancient monument is a registered UNESCO World Heritage site and is managed by the English Heritage, a registered charity that manages over 400 of England’s historic buildings and monuments.  But, did you know that at one time these ancient stones were privately owned?

King Henry VIII

In 1540 King Henry VIII took ownership of Stonehenge and the surrounding land from the monks at Amesbury Abbey.  Many names and transfers of ownership occurred over the next 300 years until the Antrobus family of Cheshire bought the estate in 1824.  Always curious, souvenir hunters plagued these prehistoric stones, chiseling chips out of the blocks, etching their names into the stones, digging holes in the ground, until one day in 1901 one of the enormous uprights and its lintel crashed to the ground.

Edmund Antrobus was forced to fence off approximately 20 acres around the monument, hire a guard, and prop up the other stones with wooden planks and poles.  Meanwhile, the construction of a new railway and roads brought many new visitors to the area.  Continued concern for the safety of the visitors grew until Edmund, with the help of the Society of Antiquaries, organized a restoration of the neglected ruins, causing him to charge a one-shilling admission fee.

Edmund’s son, the last heir to the Antrobus family, was killed fighting in France during World War I.  And when Edmund died a few months later, the family decided to put the estate, which included Stonehenge, up for sale.

Cecil and his daughter, Mary, on board RMS Aquitania, May 1926

Now let’s meet Cecil Chubb.  Cecil was born to a leathersmith in 1876 in a small village not far from Stonehenge.  Cecil studied hard, worked hard and became a school teacher at the age of 14.  Chubb continued his studies and eventually became a lawyer, opening his own law firm.  In 1902 Chubb married Mary Finch.  When Mary’s uncle, Dr. Corbin Finch, died in 1910, he left the Fisherton House Asylum, a psychiatric hospital near Salisbury, which had been in the family for years, to his daughter.  But she wasn’t capable of managing it, so she employed the help of Cecil.  Chubb then decided to give up his law firm, and he and Mary moved back to Salisbury to run the hospital.

An astute businessman, Cecil made the hospital a great success, growing it to the largest private hospital in all of England.  He introduced new treatments, made the patients lives better and easier, returning most to their homes.  He also worked closely with military casualties, using his own home when necessary to accommodate soldiers returning from the war.

On September 21, 1915, a local auction was set to take place in Salisbury. The auction by Knight Frank & Rutley estate agents included “Lot 15. Stonehenge with about 30 acres, 2 rods, 37 perches of adjoining downland.”   In the catalogue, Lot 15 was also described as “a place of sanctity dedicated to the observation or adoration of the sun”.  Bidding began at  £5000, but there seemed to be little interest.  The auctioneer, Sir Howard Frank, was not at all impressed and temporarily stopped the bidding.  He voiced his disappointment and started again.  Although Cecil had no intention of bidding, in his own words: “while I was in the room I thought a Salisbury man ought to buy it and that is how it was done”.  The highest bid was a mere £6600 and it was from Sir Cecil Herbert Edward Chubb.

Lot 15 – Stonehenge, with a marginal note recording the price it sold for.

Legend says Cecil was sent by his wife to buy some household items, dining chairs, curtains, etc.  Legend also says Cecil was looking for a birthday gift for Mary.  We’ll never know if either of these are true.  But Cecil did buy Lot 15 and Stonehenge.  There were many, however, who accused Chubb of snatching up this land with its tourist-attracting monument as another money-making business venture, which he vehemently denied.  He told The Times on October 7, 1915:

“Before the sale I never discussed Stonehenge with a view to purchase with anyone, and at the time of going to the sale I did not even know any figures as the receipts. I think I said before that when I went into the sale-room, I had no intention of buying, and I certainly did not look upon it as an investment”

 

Chubb purchased the land on a whim, unaware that he would become involved in a number of political arguments about public access, entrance fees, and abuse of the land.  Cecil owned the land for three years and then in 1918, he contacted the government department ‘Office of Works’ interested in antiquities and offered the land and the monument to the country as a gift.  But . . . he had three provisions.  The first was that local residents should continue to have free access to it.  The second was that entrance fee should never be more than a shilling.  Lastly, that the stones remain in their present condition and no building be erected within 400 yards of the stones themselves.

In his letter announcing the donation of Stonehenge, Chubb wrote:

“Stonehenge is perhaps the best known and the most interesting of our national monuments and has always appealed strongly to the British imagination.  To me, who was born close to it and during my boyhood and youth visited it at all hours of the day and night, under every conceivable condition of weather—in driving tempests of hail, rain and snow, fierce thunderstorms, glorious moonlight and beautiful sunshine, it always has had an inexpressible charm. I became owner of it with a deep sense of pleasure, and had contemplated that it might remain a cherished possession of my family for long years to come. It has, however, been pressed upon me that the nation would like to have it for its own, and would prize it most highly.”

For his generous gift to the nation, Cecil was rewarded with a Knighthood.  Ultimately, perhaps Cecil was relieved to step out of the quagmire of arguments and debates as to who shall own this world heritage site.  The government took possession and in 1919 launched the first of many extensive renovations of Stonehenge, which began with straightening the stones and re-setting them in concrete.  Now over a century later, the work continues with the new visitor’s center and neolithic houses.

Stonehenge may be the best known prehistoric site in the world.  Although the entrance fee is considerably more than a shilling, I hope some day you get the opportunity to visit.  This “place of sanctity dedicated to the observation or adoration of the sun” will be a memorable experience.

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References:  Freemasons, Ancient Origins, Wikipedia, English Heritage, Stonehenge Tours, History, Stonehenge Monument, Daily Telegraph

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SOCCER …. Who Really Invented It?

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Soccer (or Football as everyone else calls it) is the most beloved game in the world.  Turn on the television any weekend and you’ll see games being telecast from all over the world.  Do I play soccer?  No.  Have I ever played soccer?  No.  But , I’ve watched kids play soccer in empty lots, street corners and school yards in every country I’ve ever visited.  All it takes is a ball (or something resembling a ball) and you’ve got a game.  According to the Bleacher Report, soccer is played in 208 countries around the world, with a fan base of over 2 billion.

Scene from The English Game

Why am I writing about soccer?  Well, I’ve just finished watching the Netflix mini-series, THE ENGLISH GAME, created by Julian Fellowes (you’ll remember him as the creator of the incredibly successful Downton Abbey series).  It’s a very interesting and historically accurate series, based on people and events which actually occurred.  Of course, it does have its underlying, less interesting,  heart-tugging, soap opera-ish subplots … which was expected.  The series is a six-part drama which I don’t think can go any further than examining how soccer became Great Britain’s most popular sport.

The question I needed answering was “did Great Britain invent the sport?”  The simple answer is ‘no’.  Although Egypt, Japan, and Greece also had some form of ‘ball’ game, historians suggest that the game which comes closest to what we now call ‘soccer’ was first played by the Chinese.  It seems that “TEA” wasn’t the only thing invented in China 5000 years ago.  It appears that ‘soccer’ was too.  The Chinese game of Cuju, pronounced “chuk-ko” which means “kick the ball”, dates as far back as 2500 B.C.  So, as the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting under the wild tea tree in his garden boiling water, soccer was being played in the courtyard.

The game, which appears to have begun as a training exercise for soldiers, involved the soldiers kicking a small leather ball with their feet through an opening into a net.   At the request of the emperor, the soldiers began to form teams and compete against each other.  This game of Cuju became so popular that it spread from the army to the royal courts and then down to the people.  Because of its fast-growing popularity with people in every class, standardized rules of play had to be established.  The sport thrived for over 2,000 years, but, for some reason, began to fade away during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

How, then, did this ‘football’ game make its way to Great Britain?   We’ll never know exactly, but we do know the game spread from China to Japan.  In fact, records dating as far back as 611 A.D. mentions football-type games played between the two countries. The game then traveled from the Far East through the Middle East, as far south as Australia, and into Europe.  Somewhere around the 9th century, it appeared in England as a game known as “folk football”.   This game involved the whole town …  townsfolk would kick a pig’s bladder from one end of town to another, with opponent’s goals at either end of town.  The town’s folk took the game quite seriously, but eventually space restraints within the town and the violence that ensued caused the game to be banned, but not for long.

Over the years, schools began playing against one another.  The rules and regulations continued to evolve and by the 1800s, dedicated soccer clubs began to emerge in Britain.  Still not very well organized, it was pretty much an anything goes game.  Players often tripped each other and kicking an opponent in the shins occurred more often than not.

Fergus Suter, the first professional footballer.

It’s at this time that football was at a turning point.  Soccer’s popularity was growing and the working classes were loving the game.  The social elite had played the game as a hobby but the industrial workers had a different vision of the sport.  Mill towns started having their own rival teams –  Darwen, Accrington, Burnley Rovers, Blackburn Olympic, Clitheroe Central.

Enter a stonemason from Glasgow, Scotland, named Fergus Suter.  Fergus was the very first professional soccer player.  In 1878 he moved from Scotland to England to play for the Darwen team and is credited with changing the way the game was played.  The first player ever to be paid for playing soccer, Suter was paid a considerable amount of money, £10 every other week.  The average wage at that time for a mill worker was less than £2 a week.  Being paid to play football was highly controversial and seen as against the rules.  But Suter went on to win the Football Association cup not once but twice.

As Julian details in the series, the sport  was formalized with the formation of the Football Association in 1863.  What I love about any of the dramas Fellowes is involved with is his attention to detail.  From the set designs to the costumes and, of course, the characters.  Each character is portrayed accurately and honestly.  It’s a fascinating look at a simple game, loved passionately by everyone … from the working class to the aristocratic elite.

Soccer has continued to grow to be the most popular sport in the world.  Why?  Because all you need is a ball … and it can be played anywhere, on any surface … in a park, on the street where you live, on the beach or a schoolyard. You don’t need expensive equipment.  No racquets, no padding, no helmets or knee pads.  No fancy footwear or jerseys.  Rich or poor, male or female, everyone can play soccer.

Am I now a fan of Soccer?  Probably not, but when you watch something being done well, it certainly stirs up an interest in you to find out more about it.  Watching this mini-series certainly did it for me.  And I may actually watch an entire game now and then.  I’m not sure why soccer doesn’t have the same emotional connection to people here in the U.S., but it doesn’t.  Perhaps as the kids who are playing it now in grade school grow up with soccer, we will join the rest of the world.  One can only hope.

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References:  Ancient Pages, Live About, Town and Country, Cahiers Football, Digital Spy, Wikipedia, Lancs Live